Chickenweed

Overview

Portulaca quadrifida is widespread in tropical Africa and Asia, and has been introduced to warmer areas of the Americas. In Africa it is found in all countries, usually as a weed and rarely cultivated. This species can be used as a leafy vegetable (traditional) and food for hunger in many countries such as in Africa, Uganda, Kenya, Ghana, Nigeria, Zambia. This species can also be used as an ingredient to make a type of bread in India. However, P. quadrifida is known to contain oxalate which can cause death in livestock, and in some soils, this species also tends to accumulate nitrates, so it is not recommended to be consumed in large quantities, for a long time, because it is reported to cause anemia and weakness. Apart from being a food ingredient, this species has been used by people for medicinal purposes in various countries, where for centuries it is used in traditional Ayurvedic medicine systems, as well as traditional African and Chinese medicine. P. quadrifida is also sometimes planted by the community as a soil binder to prevent erosion on sandy soils.

Vernacular Names

Sayikan (Philippines), Si ban ma chi xian (Chinese), Phak bia nu (Thai), Mya-byit-gale (Burmese).

Agroecology

The plant is widespread in the tropics. It grows best in areas where annual daytime temperatures are within the range 22 - 32 °C, but can tolerate 16 - 36 °C. It prefers a mean annual rainfall in the range 1,500 - 2,000 mm, but tolerates 1,000 - 2,500 mm. Requires a sunny position in a well-drained soil. Tolerant of a wide range of soils but prefers sand or sandy loams. Plants can succeed in quite poor soils. Prefers a pH in the range 5.5 - 6.5, tolerating 4.5 - 7.5.

Morphology

• Roots - slightly swollen tap roots.
• Stems - many branched, rooted free from the book, fleshy and often reddened.
• Leaves - opposite, fleshy, elliptic to ovate, 5-10(-14) mm long, 1.5–3(–4) mm wide, stemless, apex blunt to subacute, smooth, both surfaces more or less flattened, the veins are clear, the hair is whitish stipules.
• Flowers - small, solitary at the ends of short lateral branches, surrounded by 4 involucral leaves and numerous white hairs.  Sepals 2 in number, ovoid in shape, 3-4(–5.8) mm long.  Petals (crown strands) are 4 (5), ovoid in shape, usually yellow (rarely apricot, pink or red).  Stamens (stamens) numbered 7-16, arranged in 1 circle, stigma branched 4.
• Fruits - obovoid capsule 2-3.5 mm long, ruptures near the base leaving only a very thin, papiraceous margin.
• Seeds - numerous in each fruit, semi-circular in shape, ± 1 mm long, dull gray.

Cultivation

Propagated by seeds - fresh seeds need light for germination, but this requirement disappears in older seeds.

Chemical Constituents

Alkaloids, saponins, flavonoids, triterpenoids/steroids, tannins and glycosides, amino acids, acid potassium oxalate.

Traditional Medicinal Uses

• Plant use in skin diseases and diseases of the kidneys, bladder and lungs.
• Used for asthma, cough, urinary discharges, inflammations and ulcers.
• Poultice of plant applied to erysipelas, hemorrhoids and abdominal complaints.
• In Guam, plant is used as an antiscorbutic.
• In Egypt bruised leaves are used as an anticephalic.
• Zulus use a plant infusion as emetic.
• In Ayurveda, used for treatment of urinary and inflammatory disorders. Leaf juice applied to abscesses. Leaf decoction used in dysentery. Plant decoction used as anthelmintic and for treatment of stomach complaints and diarrhea.
• In Indo-China, leaf juice applied to abscesses and used as colyrium.
• In Nigeria, leaves applied locally to swellings.